“She’s Gray’s mate. So, as my future in-law, I am worried. I have no idea where Gray and Reese are, which leads me to believe that they went after her.”
“Wait, wait, wait… She’s a vanik and she’s destined to be a vampire? That’s impossible!”, Judy exclaims.
“No, it’s not. It has happened before.…”, Jo said, tapping on the table. “It never ends well though…”
“Fine. Let’s find her…”, Derek says.
“Not so fast, buddy. Eric’s son has her.”, Barlow now speaks, intertwining his fingers on the table.
“Eric? As in Eric Cerdaville? He’s dead…”, Derek says.
“He’s alive. And pretty healthy…”, Mary Ann shows everyone a photo, taken from far but clear enough to know it was Eric. “Sketch has eyes everywhere… Told ya.”
“Ok. Then we’ll make a deal with him. Or we simply take her from him…”, Judy stated.
“It’s not that simple…”, Casey tried to explain but it was soon interrupted.
“If we do that, he will certainly ignite a war. Sooner than you all think.”, Artur appears, sweaty and breathless. “One thing that left me quite puzzled is who they allied with. Most of our members are in the south and east of the country. Our territory is not comparable to the North…”, Artur pulls out the big whiteboard of the room and turns it over, attaching a large map of the country with various notes.
“But the West is abandoned. The North has no strength if we join with the East.”, Mary Ann comments, approaching the picture, surprised at the number of details.
“No. The West is filled with mercenary camps affiliated with the Cerdaville. It's a rather simple exchange: they get the land and do whatever they want, and when they need it, they'll come together to attack us. Moon is not the only target…”, Artur opens his backpack and pulls out a small black envelope from which he takes a photo and a sheet of medical notes. By placing the photo on the board, everyone looked at each other without understanding. “Gunner is also their target.”
“But it doesn't make any sense. Why go after a zyda if you can focus on a vanik?”, Casey questions.
“Gunner is not a zyda.”, Damion spoke, for the first time since the meeting started. “My brother-in-law was not a zyda either. He was a vanik but pretended to be a zyda so that my sister would go out with him… Gunner is the same as Moon.”
“Let's face it: it's much easier to seduce a young guy like him than someone like her.”, Casey mutters.
“Besides, and I would like if this was kept a secret, Moon has a demon attached to her.”, Damion says.
“What?”, Judy has her hands resting in her chest, too shocked.
“Yeah…”, Damion sighs. “That’s why I’m not that worried about her. But Gunner…”
Brock gets up. “Hux, get Gunner here. Now!”
Hux disappears the moment he hears his name. Surprisingly, making everyone stunned, Griffin followed after. The tension took over the place until Artur utters, “But we can't forget that, even if the Cerdaville makes Gunner the target, Caelan is still obsessed with Moon.”
“The only way to prevent, once and for all, Caelan from taking Moon as his own is to have Gray mark her. But he’s scared of the thirst.”, Casey says with his hands on his hips, exasperated.
“So what now?”, Jo asks.
“We do what we do best.”, Tyr laughs creepily. “We work in the shadows.”
•
“Are you sure it’s okay for me to stay here?”, Gunner asks as he sits with crossed legs in a single bed in the guest room of Ace’s house.
“Told ya before: you, Moon, and Damion are like my family too.”
Gunner smiled thinly, almost emotionless, as he remembered that night. “Do you think she’s…?”
His question hangs in the air, tensing the atmosphere.
“I’m sure she’s fine. Plus, Barlow has told me that the elders are searching for her.”, Ace finishes rearranging the desk. “If you need anything, call me, ok? My room is just in front. Now, get some sleep.”
“I don’t think I can when my sis is…”
“I promise that if I get any news, I’ll tell you immediately.”, Ace tapped the youngster's shoulder. “Don’t worry kiddo, she’ll come back soon…”
As Ace was about to leave, the door swung open, with Hux sweating all over, leaning on the door frame. He then took his phone, and as one hand brushed his blonde hair that was falling and sticking to his forehead, the other made a call. “He’s safe. Yes. At McKay’s. Ok, got it.”
Hux turned to the boys with a serious expression, making them shiver in fear with his intimidating presence when, in reality, he was thinking hard about how to talk to them.
“I hate talking to people…”, he thought, shifting his gaze between Gunner and Ace.
“You hate everything…”, his wolf said.
“Lie.”
“Yeah, we both know you only care about one person.”
“Come on, Orion, can you just help me out?”
“Try not to be so… fierce. Be soft.”
“Great help…”, Hux brushed his hair again, looking around. “Look… kid, we know who has your sister and we’ll get her. Be patient. And you, McKay, your job is quite simple: keep him safe, at all costs and if anything happens…”, Huxley searched his pockets, grabbing a pen and then writing on the man’s arm. “Call me immediately. Understood?”
Ace nodded hard, a bit affected by Hux’s rude demeanor.
“Good.”, Huxley said before leaving the two, astonished with everything.
“What was… that?”, Gunner asks, looking puzzled.
“No idea.”, Ace says. “Maybe Alpha Brock got worried about you and sent this guy to check on you?”
“Yeah… Probably…”
Taking a rest was the last thing Gunner wanted to do, yet it was what he needed most. The young man got up from the bed and turned off the lights, walking slowly to the balcony and opening its doors, feeling the gentle breeze of the night lightly touching his cheeks. A tear escaped his eyes, as his hand tightly gripped his necklace.
Gunner leaned over the grid, taking deep breaths to calm himself down.
Faintly he felt a smell of fresh mint. As it got stronger, the scent engulfed him, making his body long for it; his heart was beating erratically while he was sweating profusely. As seconds passed by, it was getting suffocating to the point of Gunner almost jumping off of the balcony just to follow it.
He knew what it was.
His mate.
His body and soul yearned and longed for it, and it wasn’t something he could fight against.
As he battled with himself, whether he should do something about it or not, the scent vanished as if it was never there.
Gunner let himself fall to the floor; with a sigh, he hides his head between his knees.
“Fuck!”
•
Brock was standing near the window of his office at his company; his thoughts drifted to a far place, as he continuously tried to put all pieces together. Why couldn’t they find Moon, and why was the Cerdaville so quiet?
“A penny for your thoughts?”, Artur asks at the door, carrying his heavy black backpack as usual and a few envelopes in his hands.
“Just a penny? You’re petty.”
Artur chuckled, putting his belongings on the couch and walking toward his father’s side. “Any news from Gray?”
“Nothing so far… Wherever he went to, Reese is with him.”, Brock clicked his tongue.
“Hm…”, Artur says, crossing his arms and looking outside the window. “I have something to tell you… It can be a good thing or a bad thing. It’ll depend on your point of view.”
“What happened now? Can’t you give your father a break?”
“Sorry…”, Artur laughed lightly. “We have the location of the Countess.”
“Finally some good news!”, Brock threw his hands in the air. But, when he saw the conflicted expression on his son’s face, Brock's smile faltered. “There’s a but, isn’t there?”
“She was hired by Bailey.”
“What? Why? And for what?”
“We don’t know why yet. And Casey said he won’t make a move until either we figured out why she was hired or if she tries to hurt someone.”
Brock nodded slowly, looking outside the window again. “What else?”
“Huh?”, Artur asks surprised.
“Artur, don’t forget that you’re my son and I’m not blind. Although Gray’s situation is worrisome and we have a lot of problems on our hands, you wouldn’t come here, so late, just to tell me those things…”, Brock got near his son and leaned on his desk. “So, what else?”
“Ace called. It’s about Gunner…”
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